Nicolas Mahut goes down in the Hall of Fame
The longest match in the history of the Open era was played during Wimbledon 2010, which has made this Grand Slam one of the most memorable tournaments ever to have been played. The French player Nicolas Mahut and the America John Isner have made history by playing a never ending battle which left their audiences stunned and glued to the game for three days. Mahut and Isner played for eleven hours and five minutes in the first round of the tournament and ended with a final score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68. The American won this raging battle and eliminated the French from the competition.
Mahut left the tournament with the same prize money as Go Soeda, who had managed to win only eight games in his short and straight set loss. This may sound like a waste of Mahut’s effort for the 183 game match he played but any tennis loving individual who viewed even one of the games knows that this may have been the greatest match ever to have been played by this French tennis star. Even though he did not win the match, he is still being questioned about it and people want to know what he was feeling during the match.
Furthermore, two weeks after the match, Mahut admitted himself that everyone will always be asking him what was going through his head during the match. He may not have been victorious, but this match has given his tennis career a huge boost. People do not come up to him and tell him that he was the loser at the match; instead they praise his talent and tell him that they have not witnessed such an amazing match in their entire lives. They treat him just as well as the winner, John Isner, and say that they both deserved to win.
In addition to the massive media coverage and recognition that has been brought about to the French tennis star, his name has also been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame which is one of the most prestigious tennis museums in the world and is located in Rhode Island, America. This museum is home to the biggest collection of memorabilia which highlight the greatest and most heroic events in the history of tennis which have led up to the modern era.
This Isner-Mahut marathon broke the long lasting record of the match played between Pancho Gonzales and Charlie Pasarell. Gonzales had upset Pasarell in 112 games at Wimbledon 1969 and it was considered to be the longest match in the history of the Open era until Wimbledon 2010, in which Isner and Mahut left the 112 games far behind by playing a grand total of 183 games.
The 28 year old French player was asked whether he still thinks about this Wimbledon war he fought against Isner. To this question he smiled and informed the media that he thinks about it all the time. The memory even comes back to him in his dreams in which he sometimes even wins the match. This Wimbledon has become one of his most cherished memories and after withstanding such an exerting match he says that he does not find anything else too difficult anymore.
Currently ranked world number 144, Mahut considers this eleven hour and five minute match to be the best part of his career and also the worst. He does regret losing but he is also extremely happy and honored to have made it to the Hall of Fame Museum and the Wimbledon Museum, as very few players manage to get their names inducted into the museum during their career.
The French sportsman admitted to have taken a picture on his phone and sent it to his friends to show off his newly attained glory at the Hall of Fame, which is going to last his entire life time. He has become a renowned celebrity in the world of tennis and for this he is thankful, as it is the most exciting feeling to have had this honour bestowed upon him.
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